


The Only Thing That Matters

by ineedthislikeaholeinthehead



Category: American Actor RPF, British Actor RPF, The Hobbit RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2018-05-06 01:55:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5398451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ineedthislikeaholeinthehead/pseuds/ineedthislikeaholeinthehead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard and Lee get an unexpected treat- the chance to spend a holiday completely alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Only Thing That Matters

**Author's Note:**

> Obligatory disclaimer. The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event. Richard and Lee own themselves, I do not. I assume you get the drill.

Richard had a complicated relationship with Christmas, but he was looking forward to it this year. The past few years had been the most tolerable of his life, because Lee had been with him, to laugh at the absurdity of it all, hold him through the frustration, and share the truly great parts. 

They’d alternated where they were going, the first year at Lee’s parents, the second at his (what a disaster) and then last year back at Lee’s. Things were always just a bit easier at Lee’s. Richard wondered if it was an American thing that made everyone more easy going, though he had a feeling that it was more that Lee’s parents had accepted Lee a long time ago, and for some strange reason, actually liked him. 

Regardless, Richard had caught a bit of luck this year, and his brother had taken his parents away for the holiday. He had expressly told Richard “Your gift is that you don’t have to come.” And while there were just the tiniest bruised feelings over this, Chris had known exactly what to give him for Christmas this year. Lee’s parents would be ecstatic to hear that they were going to be coming back again for the holiday. 

Richard was looking up presents online for some one’s nephews- he hadn’t quite narrowed it down to who’s, when Lee walked into the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed, quietly.  
Lee couldn’t remain still if his life depended on it, so after half a minute of wiggling and re-adjusting, Richard put down his computer and looked up at him. 

“What’s the matter, Lee?”

“Nothing.” 

“Alright.” Richard says, pulling his laptop back up and trying to decide if anyone would possibly appreciate a remote control truck. 

“It’s just..” Lee starts to trail off.

“Yes?”

“I haven’t told my parents we’re coming. And they don’t expect us to be there this year.”

“I promise, I wouldn’t mind if you just told me what you were thinking.”

“What if...What if we didn’t go home for Christmas?”

“I thought you liked going home for the holidays.”

“I do. But… What if we didn’t? Just this year. I mean… we’re adults Richard, we could do anything we wanted.”

Richard was in his 40’s, with an actual decent career and a serious adult relationship, but as much as he’d been told and continued to tell himself, he still didn’t quite feel adult, and the thought of making his own Christmas plans, not out of necessity or the occasional broke desperation, hadn’t really entered his mind. Holidays were about family, and it only occurred to him when Lee proposed it, that Lee was the biggest, most important part of his family. 

“Ok. What would you like to do?” he asked, and Lee smiled, and climbed up next to Richard, grabbing his computer and opening a new tab for a travel site. 

They’d decided on somewhere warm and tropical and altogether frivolous. As Richard pulled his bag through the terminal, Lee, always trailing behind and stuck on something or someone in the way, he marveled over the sleet and the cold they were covered in, and wondered how there was even a place that existed where there was warmth and sunshine in December. It was still hard for him to fathom that they were doing this, going on a whim to celebrate alone. 

He had no idea how he had gotten so lucky, sharing a special day with the most special of people like this. It was a bit of out character for them to do something so unplanned, but that was one of the things Richard loved about Lee, he was constantly surprising him. 

It was Richard’s turn to surprise Lee, a few days later, while they were sitting on the beach, Mai Tai’s in hand. As the sun began to set, Richard pulled out a gift wrapped box and handed it to Lee. 

“I thought we were doing presents tomorrow.” He said. 

“We are. This is on top of that.” Lee smiled. Whenever Lee smiled at him, Richard’s whole world stopped. 

“I don’t have anything for you.” 

“You’ve already given me enough.” Richard tells him. Lee opens the box. 

“You know I already have a watch.”

“But is it engraved?” 

“Yes.” Lee pulls out the very nice piece that Richard probably should have saved for tomorrow, being that the terrible sweater he’d wrapped for their actual Christmas exchange was not going to live up to this, and read the message on the back. “But I like this better.” He says, then puts it on, and pulls Richard in for a long kiss.


End file.
